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Glasgow Underground

“
The Glasgow Underground provides a convenient means of travelling from the City Centre to West End venues and several sites on the south of the River Clyde. The original system was opened in 1896 but was modernised in the early 1980's. Its twin tunnels provide a circular service linking 15 stations in 24 minutes. „

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It's not called The Clockwork Orange!

The Glasgow Underground is the underground train system which takes you around Central & the West of Glasgow. It is called the Subway by just about everyone and this idea that it is known as The Clockwork Orange is complete rubbish! Nobody in Glasgow calls it that! So, here are the ins and outs of the subway!

.::History::.

The Glasgow Underground was opened in 1896 making it the third oldest subway after London and Budapest. It converted from steam railway to electric over a 10 year period starting in 1923. It was then closed for 3 years from 1977 as it was modernised. I couldn't imagined living without the subway for 3 years! So 113 years later, it still stands!

.::The route::.

The subway is basically two rings, the inner circle (which goes in an anti-clockwise direction around the ring) and the outer circle (which is clockwise). There are 15 stops which are split down the middle by the River Clyde. Eight of the stations are north of the river and the final seven are south. All the stations are located in either the west or centre of Glasgow, these stations are; Buchanan Street, St. Enoch, Bridge Street, West Street, Shields Road, Kinning Park, Cessnock, Ibrox, Govan, Patrick, Kelvinhall, Hillhead, Kelvinbridge, St. George's Cross and finally Cowcaddens.

There are connections between certain train stations and the underground, such as Buchanan Street which is very close to Central Station & Queen Street Station. To get to Central Station from Buchanan Street Subway, go out the bottom exit of the subway and walk down Buchanan Street until you reach TGI Friday's, turn right along Gordon Street and then you will see the main entrance of Central Station. To get to Queen Street Station from Buchanan Street Subway, you don't really need to exit the subway at all. There is a kind of exit on the right as you come out the turnstiles which will take you to Queen Street Station. Buchana Street Subway is also close to Buchanan Bus Station, you just go up Buchanan Street, turn left so you're walking along Sauchiehall Street then you turn right up towards Cineworld cinema and turn right and the bus station will be infront of you. St. Enoch is connected to both Central Station (turn left at the top entrance of St. Enoch subway and go under Central Bridge) and also Argyle Street Station (turn right out of the top entrance of St. Enoch subway). Partick underground station is right below Partick train station.

.::What it all looks like like::.

- The trainsThe trains are mainly orange and yellow on the outside, sometimes one or two of the trains with have an advertisement on the whole of a carriage. For instance, just now, there is a picture of Lorraine Kelly and a few other famous chaps on the middle carriage of one of the trains to advertise the Sun. There has also been advertisements for Burns Day and the Homecoming Scotland stuff.

Inside the carriages, there is a row of seats (basically just one big seat) along either side of the carriage which are covered in the usual train material. There are metal bars along the length of the carriage so that anyone standing has something to hold onto - although, freestyling the Subway is somewhat of a sport. Just wait until it's quiet before you do it!

- The stations

Many of the stations are kind of dull and 70s looking with tiles and brown & beige colours, such as St. Enoch and Hillhead. Others are quite bright looking and feel really modern such as Cessnock and Kinning Park.The stations are kept really tidy and clean, even after a football match!

.::The stations::.

Here is a list of some of the stations and the places near them. I haven't included a list of everything because some of it's quite boring and also, it's easy to find it on the SPT website which I'll include at the end.

Ever since the attack at Glasgow Airport, safety stepped up a notch in Glasgow. Although, it all seems to have died down now. At the entrances and exits to every subway station, there is now bollards so no vehicles can get through. Also, for few months afterwards, there were police at many of the subway stations. I've not seen any in a while now though, apart from when there's a game on at Ibrox. I found it quite unnerving when there were police officers at the stations, it didn't make me feel any safer. But I'm sure if something where to happen, it would be better for them to be there than not.

.::Park & Ride::.

There are various park & ride facilities available in the hope that people will stop taking their cars into the centre of Glasgow. All you have to do is park your car at the car park next to the subway station then ride the subway to wherever you want to go. The stations which have this facility are Kelvinbridge, Shields Road and Bridge Street. It costs £5 for a full day's parking and to ride the subway.

The problem I have with this is that people are still taking their car into the centre of Glasgow basically. It'd be more environmentally friendly and economical just to get the train into either Central Station (most trains take you there)

.::Tickets & Prices::.

For the subway, you don't get a return or single to a certain station. You just get a ticket for the whole subway. It doesn't matter where you're going, it'll cost the same.

There are various tickets available for the subway, so it's easy to find one that suits your needs.

You can also use Zone Cards at the Subway, as long as you can use them in Zone 1.

I think the Subway's really expensive. The prices all recent went up about 50p, so I'm still in shock from having to hand over more than £2. I can get a train from my local station to Central station, which is a journey of about 4 miles and it will only cost me £1.20 for a return. It would be better if the Subway charged for how far you're going like normal trains. Also, I think child and adult prices should be same - on all train services. We all take up the same amount of space, so why should we be paying different prices?

To get your ticket, you just go to the ticket booth which is easy to locate within the subway station. Just watch though, they always give you 5p's in change, really annoys me! There are also ticket machines available at many of the busiest subway stations, these only provide Child/Adult Single or Return tickets though and usually aren't in service, which can prove to be really annoying as there's quite often long queues.

.::Train Times::.

The first train on the outer circle (starting at Buchanan Street) is at 06.35 Monday to Saturday and 10.03 on a Sunday.

The first train on the inner circle (starting at St. Enoch) is at 06.33 Monday to Saturday and 10.10 on a Sunday.

The last train on the outer circle (from Buchanan Street) is 23.10 Monday to Saturday and 17.39 on a Sunday.

The last train on the inner circle (from St. Enoch) is 23.13 Monday to Saturday and 17.36 on a Sunday.

.::Staff::.

I've found that there can be some variety in the service you receive from the staff at the Subway stations. A lot of the time, the staff seem really bored and I can imagine it's quite a mundane job. There's not really much emphasis on being polite and smiling, but they do give you what you need - your ticket! Sometimes you can get a person who's really smiley, says please and thank you, but that's a rare occurance. If you do need help, just ask.

.::Accessibility::.

On the subway carriages, there are designated areas for elderly people and people who are disabled. There are escalators in most of the stations. Due to the stations being quite small, it's impossible to provide wheelchair access. There is also amplification equipment for those who are a bit hard of hearing and you are also able to take guide dogs on the subway.

The easiest thing to do if you have extra needs when travelling on the subway is to ask staff for help. I know I've made them to sound quite grumpy, but they would definitely help you if you need it.

You are also asked to fold up pushchairs and other large equipment because the carriages are so small.

.::Using the subway::.

This is a step-by-step guide on how to use the subway!

Step 1. Purchase your ticket from the ticket booth or the ticket dispensing machines.Step 2. Figure out which line you're going on, there are posters telling you what line you should use to get to the station you want to get to! Even if you get it wrong, you will get to your station eventually!Step 3. Put your ticket into the front of the turnstile, then lift it out the top ***before*** walking through.Step 4. Wait for the train, read the numerous posters around the station!Step 5. Get on the train and look at other people's shoes, then get embarrassed when you notice someone has noticed you looking at their shoes.Step 6. Get off at the stop you want, which is clearly marked on the walls on the station.

Simples!

.::What it's actually like to ride the subway::.

As a student, I am a regular on the subway and would like to give out my first hand experience in using the subway. It is generally quite an OK and pleasant experience, it gets you from A to B without any fuss!

- How often do the trains come?The trains are pretty regular with one coming every 2-5 minutes in busier times, although you can wait up to 8 minutes at the slow times of the day. I always seem to arrive at the station just as a train has gone, which is just my luck! A sign lets you know how long it will be until the next train, but usually it's not as long as the signs state.

- Getting on the train!I know this seems like a strange thing to put, but it's a necessity. There were times when I was in my first year at university with my 9am starts and I would not be able to get on the train to save my life! It was just so damn cramped! I have literally seen people have their faces flat against the window as the train was so crushed. They usually have a member of staff at the station platform to help people on the train and ask people to move along the carriage so more people can fit on, but there are times when you have to watch 2 or 3 trains go by until there is one with enough space on it for you to get on! This is usually only at peak times (between 8am and 9.30am or 4pm and 6pm).

***A tip for getting on the train!***If you're getting on at Buchanan Street and using the inner circle at a busy time - don't! Go to St. Enoch instead, you won't get a seat at St. Enoch, but a lot of people get off when the train gets to Buchanan Street and then you are able to sit down before the people get on! It's impossible to get a seat if you get on at Buchanan Street in the morning, believe me!

- When not to use the subwayIt is very...umm...atmospheric to use the subway when there is a football game on at Ibrox. I had the misfortune of using the subway to get to a Ranger's game at Ibrox (I'm not a big footy fan, Ranger's were playing AC Milan and I really wanted to see David Beckham!) - I will talk you through the experience.

I had to wait in the longest queue ever for a ticket, then when I finally got through (along with all the drunken supporters) and got on the train, I was engulfed in a sea of blue shirts. There were so many people on the train and as many of them were male and much taller than me, I couldn't see a thing and my nose was in many of their armpits! They also decided to sing some very nice songs and jump up and down. With that, the whole carriage shook! It was seriously scary! Getting back was even worse, there was a huge queue outside the subway station to get back, police on horses only letting a limited number of people through at a time. Luckily, my boyfriend and I managed to jump to the front of the queue. We decided to go on the less busy line as well, even though it was longer, it was much quieter!

I would really avoid using the subway when a game's on. SPT usually put up signs letting people know there's a game and what time they expect the station to be busy at. On the website, the list upcoming games so that you can be aware when to avoid the subway as it will be a nightmare! There is also a lot of police presence so you feel safe during game times.

- Any problems?When there is a problem on the subway, it's a big thing! It's all anyone talks about! Over my three years of using it almost every day, there has only been a handful of problems that have occured. One I remember was when a train had stopped between two stations (scariest thing ever!!!) so the whole of the outer circle was stopped, meaning everyone was travelling on the inner circle.

Also, sometimes, they stop the trains at certain stations. It seems to mainly be at Govan or Partick, I don't know why they do this - I never travel far enough to know.

If there are any problems, they will announce them over the speakers and also there is a sign which will list any problems.

- Entertainment on the Subway

Subcrawl!This is something that is done by students in particular. The idea of it is that you get on the Subway, getting off at every stop to take in the local drinking delights near that subway station. Get it: Subcrawl...Pubcrawl! I've never done this as I'm not much of a drinker, but I've heard it's fun. It'll be cheap as well as all you need is a Discovery Ticket for the whole night. Oh, and your drinks...

TaggartA couple of times, Taggart have been filming on the Subway when I've been there so if you fancy a chance to appear on the telly, the Subway's the place to be. Also, Central Station has also been known to have some crews filming there.

Other People's MusicYou can't not go on the Subway without listening to other people's music. I am one of those people who play their music in their iPod to loud so the whole carriage can hear, but I also quite enjoy listening to other people's music when they do the same.

Those on O2If you are with O2, you may be able to receive texts and phonecalls when you're below ground. I think O2 are currently the only network to make this available, but hopefully others will follow soon.

People WatchingThis is a great sport, especially on the Subway. You get all types of people - I'm not going to describe them as I'll probably offend a lot of people. But it is fun to do on the subway!

.::More Information::.

If you need more information about the subway, SPT's website is a good place to start: http://www.spt.co.uk/subway/. On this website, you can find more information about the Park & Ride scheme, 'Places of Interest' (which is where most of the list above came from) and whole load of other information!

I also found a book when I was doing some research for this review. It's called Glasgow Subway Album: A Collection of Photographs of the Old Glasgow Subway Taken Before and During Closure for Modernisation by George Watson. If anyone's interested in what the subway looked like before it closed for three years, this would be a great book to get.

.::Overall::.

The Subway is a good wee system that takes you around some of the main parts of the city. It's quick and fairly reliable, so you're never going to be waiting long for a train. I think it can be quite expensive, especially if you're just going one or two stops. I would always work out if you can walk to the stop you want to get to first; it's healthier and cheaper! I've walked all the way from St. Enoch to Hillhead before! I think the fact that it doesn't have many disabled facilities, especially for wheelchair users, lets it down a bit. But there are lots of other ways to get around Glasgow if you need extra assistance.

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A useful transport network with a multitude of stops across the city

The subway in Glasgow, no not the sandwich but rather the underground system in glasgow that has been running since 1896! This fine transport system mainly serves commuters travelling between the city centre, south side and the west end of Glasgow.

Personally I only use the subway when either it is raining when I am heading into, coming home university or when just being downright lazy. The subway system has a few stops that are situated beside major overgound train stations - Queen Street and Partick. This is very handy should you get the train into Glasgow and then need cheap transport to a different section of the city. A few park and ride facilities have also been established providing car parking for commuters.

The subway service runs trains at very close intervals during peak times, around one train every 3-4 minutes as it does get very busy. However, late at night the system is reduced to one train every 15-20 minutes.

It costs £1.20 for a single or £2.40 for a return ticket, these charges apply regardless of how far you wish to travel on the service. Discounts are available on tickets such as a 10 trip ticket and such likes.

An estimated 14.5 million people use Glasgow's underground per year so why not join them? It's cheaper than the overground trains or taxis...

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Rainy day? Bring a good book and take a few spins...

Metrophiles like myself (what can I say? I like trains, I like tunnels, I like timetables...) usually say the same thing when they first step down onto a station platform of Glasgow's Underground:

"It's sooooo sweeeeeeeeeet / miniature / tiny!"

Opened in December 1896, the Subway (as it is commonly known) is the third oldest undergroundin the world after London and Budapest. It forms a circular route of fifteen stations with an outer (clockwise) and inner (anti-clockwise) track. A complete circle takes about twenty-five minutes, connecting the retail and commercial heart of the city with the near southern neighbourhoods of Govan and Ibrox and the west end districts around Partick and the University of Glasgow.

For visitors, its an essential part of your trip, since it smooths over the horrible scar left between the city centre and west end by the M8 motorway. Stops at Kelvinbridge, Hillhead and Kelvinhill bring all the shops, cafés, bars and museums of the west end into easy reach of the city centre, and for £1.20 single it's cheaper than the bus.

Using the Subway is easy. Every station has a manned ticket office and ticket machines. In addition to single, return and multi-journey tickets many passengers use the SPT (Stratchlyde Partnership for Transport) Zonecard or DayTripper. Consider the latter if you're travelling as a family. Most stations are very shallow, and therefore only a short flight of steps beneath the pavement. Note that there is no disabled access to the Subway: a long period of closure permitted refurbishment in the nineteen-seventies, but lifts have still to be added.

Since it's a circle, you travel on either the outer or inner circle depending which way round the circle is the quickest to your destination. Large signs will help you identify the quickest route, either on the outer or inner circle.

Trains run on a varying frequency, as often as every four or five minutes in the peaks. When a train arrives, you might again by struck by how small they are. Just three carriages long, and much shorter and narrower than comparable trains in other cities. Taller passengers should mind their heads when boarding!

Fast, frequent and reasonably inexpensive, the Subway is a great way to get around Glasgow. It's just a shame that it serves only a single loop, and that extension plans to the East End or South Side have repeatedly been put on ice. For now, however, it's a remarkable survivor and a great tool.

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Quick and easy way to get around the main sites of central Glasgow

A little known fact is that the Glasgow Underground is actually the 3rd oldest in the world after London & Budapest!

As I live in the West End of Glasgow the underground if the form of public transport I use the most. From my local stop of Kelvinbridge to Buchanan St in the city center takes 5 minutes. I personally think the underground is brilliant as it is fast efficient clean and safe.

Now to those who don't know Glasgow has an underground & are picturing the expanse of the London or Paris underground systems - you are a bit off track! The Glasgow underground consists of 2 lines which follow exactly the same 6.5mile route, one clockwise & one anti clockwise. It also only serves the river side areas of the city center so if you plan to travel further afield then this service is of no use. Although as Glasgow has won the 2014 commonwealth games there are potential plans for an east end expansion.

The Glasgow underground is often referred to by guide books etc as the "clockwork orange" due to many of the carriages being orange; however I have never heard it being called that, I know it purely as the subway!

The two city center stations are Buchanan Street which gives access to Queen St station (trains over to Edinburgh) and the top end of Glasgow's shopping streets (Sauchihall st, Buchanan galleries) and St Enoch which gives access to the lower end of Buchanan st and Argyle street. Central Station & Princes Sq I would say is equidistant between the two.

Outwith of the city center the following stations are ones of potential interest.

A basic single ticket costs £1.10adult £0.55 children. There are a number of ticket deals including a discovery ticket which is a unlimited daily ticket valid after 9.30am for £2.50, a 7 day season ticket £10 and a 10/20 multi ride ticket no time limits for £9/£17 which can be bought online at www.spt.co.uk. Prk & ride costs £4.20

The trains run from 6.30am to 23.30pm Mon-Sat and Sunday times are 10am-6pm although they will now thankfully open up the underground early on a Sunday for certain events such as the womens 10k.

Ive lived in Glasgow now for over 7 years & in that time have seen a number of improvements - namely safety. Buchanan Street now sports a glass safety barrier.

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When I first started at Glasgow Uni, the easiest, quickest and probably cheapest way for me to get from Buchanan Street to Hillhead was by taking the Underground. I've now been using it for the best part of two years and I reckon it's about time I share my experiences of it.

Unlike London, the Glasgow Underground doesn't have a confusing mass of lines. Instead it just has the Inner and the Outer Circle. They both travel to the same stops but the Inner circle moves in a clock-wise direction and the Outer in an anti-clockwise direction. Both trains stop at:

Park and Ride facilities are available at Kelvinbridge, Bridge Street, West Street and Shields Road. Services begin around 6.30am Monday-Saturday and around 11am on a Sunday and terminate between 11-11.30pm on weekdays and 5.30-6pm on Sundays.

An adult return ticket costs £2 and a single costs £1, but there are other ticket options available such as a 20 journey ticket for £13 and a discovery ticket which can be bought after 9.30am and used as many times as you like throughout the day for £1.70. More fare information can be found at: http://www.spt.co.uk/Travel/subway.html#route

So what is a journey on the Glasgow Underground actually like? Well, if I'm going to be entirely honest, it's not particularly pleasant. The stations themselves tend to be rather dingy, dirty and smelly and most days when I arrive at Hillhead the 'up' escalator is out of service. The trains themselves are generally quite old and are also dirty. The seats tend to be filthy and grimy and the journey is far more bumpy and uncomfortable than a journey on the London underground. At peak times it is packed, too, although I suppose that is only to be expected.

Also, the train doors don't have sensors like lift doors, and keep closing regardless. There is a continous beeping signal before they shut to warn people not to run on or off, but if you do chance it, there is a chance you'll end up getting stuck between the 2 doors which could be both rather painful and embarrassing!

I find that the platforms get extremely slippy if it is wet weather outside, too, as they are tiled and I find it difficult enough to stay upright on them sometimes, never mind the trouble it could cause an elderly person.

However, the journey does tend to be quite quick and relatively hassle free compared to getting a bus.

All in all, the Underground is quite handy for getting around Glasgow, but it doesn't cover a large area and isn't a very nice mode of transport, but fares are reasonable and trains are frequent, and it is probably the best choice for most people who want to travel within Glasgow.

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Before going to Glasgow the only underground train transport system that I had ever been on was the London Underground. It was therefore a bit of a surprise to find a fast and efficient underground system in Glasgow. This underground was originally opened in 1896 and is the world’s third oldest subway. In 1977 the whole system was closed for a massive modernisation and re-opened in 1980. The underground is a continuous oval circuit around the city of Glasgow, both on the north and south sides of the River Clyde, with 15 stations. On the outer circle the trains run in a clockwise direction and on the inner circle the trains run in an anti-clockwise direction. At two of the stations the underground has an interchange with the surface railway system and at four of the stations there are Park and Ride facilities. The trains run between every 4 minutes to every 8 minutes depending upon the time of day. Each train is three carriages long and appears to be a popular way to travel around the city. The trains are a bit noisy and in some places the trains do get a bit bumpy, so I would not recommend a journey if you have a hangover. But the trains are clean and the seats quite comfortable. Any single journey costs 90p, although there are reductions for season tickets. If you are travelling after 9.30am in the morning then you can buy a Discovery Ticket. This ticket costs £1.60 and gives unlimited travel all day. We found this the most convenient ticket to buy and even though there is no reduction for children it meant that we could use the underground all day and it was a very cheap way to get about. The city of Glasgow seems to have recognised that cheap, efficient public transport is the best way to reduce traffic congestion in the town centre and this underground system plays a major part in this transport policy. Next time we are in Glasgow we shall be sure to use the underground as it is so con venient to use.

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I was interested to watch the Holiday programme on BBC1 the other night in which Dougie Vipond gave Glasgow a glowing review. Among the things he praised was the Glasgow Underground, a.k.a. The Clockwork Orange. While what he said about it being cheap is true, he did not give you the full story about it. The Glasgow Underground is not something I use a great deal. The problem with it is that the circular route only runs around the city centre and the west side of the city. As I live South-East of Glasgow I would have to go really out of my way to use the Underground, and thus a lot of people do not use the Underground before they have even tried it. However if I have to go west of the city before or after work (normally to go to Glasgow Airport or to the Braehead Shopping Centre) I do find it very cheap and convenient. I will normally park near Kinning Park station, as it is one of the places where you can use the underground and park for free. However you need to know where to park, and be warned that some stations with their own car parks will charge you for the privilege (Shields Road being one of them). The fares are in my opinion amazingly cheap. An adult single will cost you a mere 80p, a return is £1.60, and there are reasonably generous discounts if you travel on it frequently. Compare this with train fares, which if I wanted to use to get into work before 9am would cost me £4 return. The Underground rates do not change, but at those prices is there really any cause for complaint? Most trains are uncluttered, with the evening rush hour being the only time that you may struggle to get a seat on a train. However the trains are too infrequent, and even at the busiest times I have had to wait at least ten minutes for a train on a number of occasions, something which would not happen in London very often, let alone during a rush hour. To draw a more favourable comparison with London though I have never had to dodge around stati on repairs or litter in a Glasgow underground station, although the smaller scale of the network presumably allows it to be more easily manageable. The stations in the centre of Glasgow are well positioned. Both the St. Enoch and Buchanan Street stations are right beside large shopping centres and within easy walking distance of most of the city centre and its main streets (Argyle Street, Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street). However what would be most beneficial would be if the system were extended. If it could be stretched to places like East Kilbride, Motherwell, Cumbernauld and Paisley it would be brilliant, although now it would probably be too expensive and impractical to do so. I guess I'm stuck with commuting by coach for a good while yet!

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When I moved to Glasgow and started using the Underground system the first thing that came to mind was " this was built for the Lilliputians!" It was funny because the whole area is very closed and small, and the tubes for the trains and even the trains itself are small as well. Everything seemed to have been built for "wee" people. Having got over that I started paying attention to the service itself. The trains run quite regularly and provide a a good transportation service for passengers within the central areas of Glasgow. You only have one line that goes around in a circle, in two directions (called the inner circle and outer circle). The area that it covers is very limited, and it is no doubts the best way to travel within the city centre, especially at peak times since there are no traffic jams or closed signals. In this respect I find the service quite good, but unfortunately very limited and localised. Probably it would be in everybody's benefit to extend it, so the underground can reach other areas and provide faster travelling to everybody.